Cushioned joint for artificial limbs.



' J. F. ROWLEY.

cUsHloNBn JOINT PoR ARTIHGIAL LIMBs.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 1.1907.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

JAMES F. ROWLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CUSHIONED JOINT FOR ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.'

Application led April 1, 1907. Serial No. 365,842.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. RowLnY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county ofCook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushioned Joints for Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved cushion construction for controlling the ankle motion in artificial limbs; to utilize the full power of the resilient cushion, and to lengthen the life of the cushion. This object is accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing which represents a longitudinal section of the foot portion of an artificial limb constructed according to this invention, the shin section being partly broken away.

In the construction shown, the shin section or member 1 has an ankle block 2 secured across its lower end. This block is provided with a concave socket 3 at the middle of its lower face.

The foot member' 4: is mounted at the lower end of the shin section to which it is fulcrumed by means of the cylindrical bulb 5 seated in the socket 3, and held in position by means of a U-shaped stirrup 6, which has a concave socket fitting the lower cylindrical surface of the bulb 5 and which is rigidly secured to the shin section l so as to hold the bulb 5 in position in the socket 3. The axis of the bulb 5 is at right angles to the length of the foot so as to give the proper ankle motion to the foot.

The foot member t is hollowed out to form a socket 7 in its upper face at a point near the front end of the ankle block 2. Within this socket is seated a resilient rubber cushion 8, upon the upper face of which is mounted a plate 9 of metal or other stiff material. The edges of this plate are connected with the foot member fl by means of iexible straps 10. The front end of the ankle block 2 is extended downward in the form of a shoulder or bulb 11, which bears upon the middle of the plate 9. The shoulder 11 is protected by a facing of leather so as to insure a noiseless action between said sure exerted by the pad 8 will be concentrated at a point near the eXtreme forward end of the ankle block, thus making efficient use of all of the material of the pad.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. `A joint for artificial limbs comprising two parts connected together and having a relative angular movement, a cushion of resilient material mounted between said parts and adapted to yieldingly resist such angular movement, a plate of stiff material interposed between said cushion and one of said parts, and said part having a shoulder bearing on a limited part of said plate and adapted to permit said plate to tilt with respect to said shoulder to distribute the pressure over said cushion.

2. In a joint for artificial limbs, the combination of two parts connected together and having a relative angular movement, a cushion of resilient material mounted between said parts and adapted to yieldingly resist such angular movement, a plate of stiff material interposed between said cushion and one of4 said parts, and a flexible connection securing said plate to the other of said parts.

3. In an artificial limb, the combination of a shin member, a foot member fulcrumed on said shin member and having a limited rotation on its fulcrum, a cushion of resilient material mounted upon the upper face of said foot member and adapted to yieldingly resist the rotation of said foot member on its fulcrum, a plate of stiff material secured across the upper face of said cushion, and said shin member having a part bearing upon a limited area of the top of said plate.

4. In an artificial limb, the combination of a shin member and a foot member eonnected together by an ankle joint, a cushion of resilient material mounted between said members in position to resist their relative angular movement, a curved plate of stiff material having its concave face presented toward said cushion and its conveX face presented toward one of said members, and a flexible connection securing said plate to the other of said members.

Signed at Chicago this 30th day of March 190 JAMES F. ROVVLEY. 

